Probably this is a stupid question, but anyway..If someone will participate at this retreat, it will be capable to practice after this empowerments?

Because, I know that, if you want to practice, you "need" all this 3:a) the empowerment wang)b) a reading of the text by an authorized holder of the practice ( lung)c) instruction on how to perform the practice or rituals (tri).

Probably this is a stupid question, but anyway..If someone will participate at this retreat, it will be capable to practice after this empowerments?

Because, I know that, if you want to practice, you "need" all this 3:a) the empowerment wang)b) a reading of the text by an authorized holder of the practice ( lung)c) instruction on how to perform the practice or rituals (tri).

"What is the All? Simply the eye & forms, ear & sounds, nose & aromas, tongue & flavors, body & tactile sensations, intellect & ideas. This, monks, is called the All. Anyone who would say, 'Repudiating this All, I will describe another,' if questioned on what exactly might be the grounds for his statement, would be unable to explain, and furthermore, would be put to grief. Why? Because it lies beyond range." Sabba Sutta.

I'm considering of joining this series of teachings as well. I just don't understand what the content exactly is. The info at the website (the text is full of superlatives and adjectives but no info what the seminar is actually about) and the organizer isn't helpful (I was answered that such dharma-questions can not be answered via email). I do get what an empowerment is but would like to know a bit more in detail what the content is without needing to buy a book. Am I missing something or is it common to have so little of (common sense) information in cases such like this?

HH Tsetrul Rinpoche is giving the complete empowerments for the Longchen Nyingtik set of teachings (called a cycle) in Finland and at least some of them (maybe the full cycle as well) in Belgium and Poland. With the time scheduled, these will just be empowerments and there will not be extensive teachings, at least not from HH Tsetrul Rinpoche (there may be teachings in the evenings concerning empowerments that day by some lamas but I don't know that for sure and would not expect it).

HH Tsetrul Rinpoche is elderly (born 1926) and is one of the most senior Ningma teachers alive. The Longchen Nyingtik is a set of empowements and teachings discovered as mind terma by Jigme Lingpa in a vision. Later Jigme Lingpa had a series of visions of Longchenpa, one of the greatest Dzogchen teachers. These are a set of teachings that are said to be the innermost teachings of Dzogchen. There are several sets of teachings like this.

Why are these teachings given? To enable people to attain the full enlightenment of Buddhahood in this lifetime, including during death and prior to rebirth.

Thank you for that. As I do not have much knowledge in the Tibetan tradition a few more questions:

So this weeklong seminar is about "transmissions of spiritual power" or empowerments? Are people attending going to learn some practices/techniques? Why does it take 7 days for only empowerments (if my understanding of what an empowerment is is correct)?

zenman wrote:Thank you for that. As I do not have much knowledge in the Tibetan tradition a few more questions:

So this weeklong seminar is about "transmissions of spiritual power" or empowerments?

Tibetan Buddhism is mostly Vajrayana Buddhism which means a ceremonial based, esoteric Buddhism in which spiritual blessings, power and teachings are transmitted to students from a master of the tradition. There can be several kinds or levels of masters of the tradition. Technically anyone can master a practice and then obtain permission to transmit it. In Tibetan Buddhism this is not usually done and lamas (monastic or lay) are requested to give teachings by their teacher (or in some cases ordered to do so).

HH (His Holiness) Tsetrul Rinpoche is a master of the highest level.

Empowerments are ceremonies (like masses in the Catholic Church) that are used to awaken the student to their own Buddha Nature. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche said that students are like people with amnesia and the empowerment is introducing the student to who they really are. All beings are really Buddhas! But this direct experience is hidden (obscured) from people due to defilements like negative emotions and the active creation of negative experiences (harming others for example). During the ceremony it looks like lots of religious stuff is happening (or at least lots of symbolic stuff is happening). Everything during the ceremony is designed to help the student accumulate merit and wisdom. The merit is needed to ripen people so that they can actually open to the wisdom that is being transmitted. Another way of looking at the ceremony is as a kind of guided meditation that points the student directly to enlightenment and the direct revelation of their Buddha nature. However, because empowerments do not usually result in student's attaining total enlightenment they are seen more on a practical level as a ceremony that plants the seed for future enlightenment. As such, empowerments are also ceremonies that are used to transmit permission to practice one particular practice. The seed of enlightenment planted is watered and nurtured through the practice transmitted. During the week in Belgium, there may be 40 or more empowerments given (I don't know off-hand how many empowerments constitute the full Longchen Nyingtig cycle because I have only had a few over several years). There may be as few as 10 -40 empowerments in a cycle or hundreds.

Are people attending going to learn some practices/techniques?

Unless Longchen Nyingtig has only a few empowerments total, there will not be time for detailed teachings or a detailed review of the sadhanas (the ritual practices) that a student would need to follow. In reality, after the empowerments each student would probably do something different if they followed these empowerments with practice focusing on these empowerments. Many students would do the Longchen Nyingtig ngondro (the semi-feared accumulation of "preliminary" practices). People how have finished that would normally do one of several sadhana practices. The most common one is called Rigdzin Dupa but there are others as well.

Why does it take 7 days for only empowerments (if my understanding of what an empowerment is is correct)?

Fast empowerments can take 30 minutes at a time. Many empowerments can take 4 or more hours depending on the Vajra Master. One Vajra Master took over eight hours once for part 1 of a two day empowerment because he stopped to explain almost every part of the empowerment (this will not happen during these empowerments, probably). You may sit there all day doing one empowerment after another with only a brief explanation of the empowerment ceremony.

kirtu wrote:Empowerments are ceremonies (like masses in the Catholic Church) that are used to awaken the student to their own Buddha Nature. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche said that students are like people with amnesia and the empowerment is introducing the student to who they really are. All beings are really Buddhas! But this direct experience is hidden (obscured) from people due to defilements like negative emotions and the active creation of negative experiences (harming others for example). During the ceremony it looks like lots of religious stuff is happening (or at least lots of symbolic stuff is happening). Everything during the ceremony is designed to help the student accumulate merit and wisdom. The merit is needed to ripen people so that they can actually open to the wisdom that is being transmitted. Another way of looking at the ceremony is as a kind of guided meditation that points the student directly to enlightenment and the direct revelation of their Buddha nature... During the week in Belgium, there may be 40 or more empowerments given (I don't know off-hand how many empowerments constitute the full Longchen Nyingtig cycle because I have only had a few over several years). There may be as few as 10 -40 empowerments in a cycle or hundreds.

I see. The empowerment is a transmission of the enlightened nature and its energy and that is repeated many times along the week. Right?

kirtu wrote:Fast empowerments can take 30 minutes at a time. Many empowerments can take 4 or more hours depending on the Vajra Master. One Vajra Master took over eight hours once for part 1 of a two day empowerment because he stopped to explain almost every part of the empowerment (this will not happen during these empowerments, probably). You may sit there all day doing one empowerment after another with only a brief explanation of the empowerment ceremony.

Kirt

Thank you Kirt. Your messages are of real help. I don't understand why the organizing person couldn't give an explanation...

zenman wrote:I see. The empowerment is a transmission of the enlightened nature

No, you have the enlightened nature already. In some schools it's like a seed (this view is held specifically in the Sakya school) and it other's it's fully there but not recognized (this is usually the view in the Nyingma school of which HH Tsetrul Rinpoche is an exponent). The empowerment is trying to get you to recognize that enlightened nature. Another important aspect of the empowerment I didn't mention is that it purifies you of negativities and then fills you with blessings and positive inclinations (inclinations is not quite the right word - I forget the term the Nyingma teacher who said this exact thing used - I'll see if I have this in notes).

and its energy and that is repeated many times along the week. Right?

I personally don't like the use of the term "energy" but yes. In this case it will certainly be repeated many times a day.

kirtu wrote:Fast empowerments can take 30 minutes at a time. Many empowerments can take 4 or more hours depending on the Vajra Master. One Vajra Master took over eight hours once for part 1 of a two day empowerment because he stopped to explain almost every part of the empowerment (this will not happen during these empowerments, probably). You may sit there all day doing one empowerment after another with only a brief explanation of the empowerment ceremony.

Thank you Kirt. Your messages are of real help. I don't understand why the organizing person couldn't give an explanation...[/quote]

Because they are told to not really say anything. Vajrayana is secret mantra and the more you say about it, the feeling is that the less potency the teachings have. And there really are things about it that can't be discussed at all. People don't want to stray into those areas. For highest level tantra teachings in some schools, really nothing is said at all except that they are having the empowerment and the name of the empowerment (occasionally even that's omitted but not usually). They may also feel that if you have a karmic connection to take the teachings at this time in this place from this teacher then you will show up. This is a commonly held view and it's not actually wrong.